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PATENTED @my im @am ,@aitrh taire atmt @ffice MICHAEL J. COGAN AND M; E. RUSSELL, 0F MOBILE. ALABAMA.

Lemie Patent No. 71,704, dated December s, 1867.

IMPROVED TRACK-ULEARER.

'ro ALL WHOM 1r MAY ooNonnN:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL J. Ocean and M. E. RUSSELL, of Mobile, in the county of Mobile, and State of Alabama, have invented a new and improved Railroad-Track Clearer; and we do hereby declare the following to b e a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which-1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention, and

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same.

The `object of this invention is to furnish a cheap and eective arrangement for clearing the track of snow and other similar obstructions, which can be attached to any car, and adjusted, regulated, and operated by persons on the car.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the drawings.

In the drawings, A represents a common car running on the railroad B. Through the bottom of this car passes astout standard, C, terminating at its upper extremity in a horizontal lever-handle, D. Two pins or bolts, E E', project upward from the floor of the car, one on each side-ofthe rail, and passing through a hole or slot near the end of thc leverwhandles, confine them rmly in the desired position. The standards C C are directly over'the rails, and are capable of sliding up and down. At their lower ends they are providedwith a crosshend, o c, extending in a direction transverse to the rails B B. Attached to the standards by means of the cross-heads are the ploughsr Scrapers G G of'the wedge-like form shown in the drawings, shaped at their lower edges so as to scrape the upper and inner sides of the rails upon which they operate. l deep gain, e, cut across the centre of their upper edge, receives the lower end of the standard; and when the standard is thus inserted, its crossh ead projects into lateral slots z' z', cut transversely through the* upper part'of the scraper. The slots are of considerable length, to allow the scraper to slip up and down, and the gain in which the head of the standard works is deep enough to allow oftbis verticalmotlion of the Scrapers. A spring, F, operates to force the scraper down upon the rail, and two other springs, H H', one before and one behind each scraper, and operating against them, keep the Scrapers in position. This completes Athe device.

In a snow-plough of this kind, by properly adjusting the lever-handles D D, the snow may be thrown inward or outwardfrom the rails, as may be desired. The whole device costs but little, and can be applied -to an ordinary car when needed, and removed when not longer wanted. The Scrapers will do this work effectually without danger of breaking, since the springs H H are stout enough to hold them rigidly in position, except when they come 4in contact with some heavy or fixed obstacle, when they will yield till the obstacle is passed, and afterwards immediately resume their position. By means of the slots z'z' and spring F, the Scrapers will adjust themselves to the irregularities of-the rails over which they pass. The device has been practically tested on railroads, and found to be a great improvement in practical use 'over other sncw-ploughs and track-clearers. i

Having thus described our inventionwhat We claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi 1. The Scrapers G G', havingthe 'gaine and the transverse slots z' z', substantially as and for the purpose desired.

2. The combination of the `Scrapers Gr with the standards C C,handlcs or levers D D, and springs F H H, when constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses:

WM. M. Looms, CEAS. A. PETTIT, W. S. PAINE, J. W. Mrsrr, i

M.- E. RUSSELL,

MIOHL. J. COGAN. 

